Bitter Silence
by CrazyInSye
Summary: Something happened to the people of Acmetropolis when Sypher had taken over as the new "hero"...but it's not like it wasn't always there...the Loonatics had just forgotten. Humans had never accepted their kind as much as when they became heroes.


"It's a shame…" Lexi said aloud sitting on the couch back. "Just when you'd think that people were starting to get less narrow-minded…" she crossed her arms and continued scowling at the city outside the window.

"Don't get ya'self too woiked up about it Lex…it won't do ya any good."

"I know!" she spat. "But still…"

The Loonatics stayed in silence. They were all experiencing the bitterness that the female bunny felt. That afternoon they had witnessed the citizens of Acmetropolis turn on them in favor of a criminal literally parading around as a hero. Sypher. He had just succeeded in collecting all of their powers, committing a deceitful act of stealing even before the very eyes of those who considered him an idol. Now they were waiting for Tech to emerge from his lab with his solution for how to beat him. They still had a chance against him by using their skills. And they were sure to come out on top because they were the real heroes after all…

But who were Acmetropolis' heroes really? It seems that the citizens were very quick to support some unknown figure who conned them into not only believing that he was a genuine hero, but that the true heroes, the ones who'd been saving the world for about a year by then, were in fact petty miscreants all along. And they actually believed it. Every word. And then they all turned on them. Their beloved Loonatics.

But why? What was the detail which drove the angry crowd to their new conclusions? What else. It's what always drives people to make harsh and often incorrect judgments of others…

Slam sighed heavily as he sank deeper into his position on the couch, elbows resting on his knees to prop up his head resting in large purple palms. He could barely understand it. And yet, he knew exactly what had went on. But he couldn't believe it. He didn't want to. It had seemed that times had changed from the days where he was judged solely by the way he looked. And he didn't want to go back. There was too much manipulation down that old road.

Rev stood leaning against the pool table behind his friends. Listlessly he rolled the 8 ball back and forth with his finger, following it with his eyes, appearing green from the mask of his suit, usually invisible except with the presence of his powers. But he didn't have his powers. Now for a few days he'd been without them and it still felt wrong. He'd never particularly liked the way he was before his powers. He was never as fast as he was as a hero. With his powers he just felt…right. It brought him a sort of immunity to the stereotype he didn't quite fit before… He hadn't been late to anything in the past year. Now he was slow again. And he could see the stereotyping happening all over again.

Meekly, Rev looked over at Ace who was sitting away from the others on a beanbag in the middle. He looked very serious. Eyebrows furrowed and eyes fixated on nothing in particular. He must've been thinking very hard. About the injustices his friends underwent. About the feelings he shouldn't let show for the good of the team. He knew Lexi would get upset. She always went on about the times she's been discriminated against. And he knew that she'd felt things had turned around.

But they really hadn't.

And they knew it all along, but to have it thrust in their faces like that… The leader just lounged back in his seat. Elbows out, hands resting behind his head, he put on a look of ease. He was sure they would find a way to beat Sypher and to get all of their powers back. He didn't know how the latter would work out but he knew there had to be some way. Powers always had loopholes just like loyalty did; apparently.

He said nothing but they all would agree. People are always willing to switch sides if you remind them of something that they don't agree with… And prejudice has always had the power to unite.

The Loonatics continued not to speak, although a disgruntled scoff did escape Danger Duck as he was no doubt lost in his own musings over the situation. Still getting over the feeling of being "doomed" he now had time to ponder what had happened at the scene of the parade. Yes he and Tech had been the last to have their powers taken away though something else happened too, but he just couldn't place what he was feeling. There was a comment… he had heard them before but for everyone to just cheer and agree with it was something he'd never encountered… Something about 'Going back to the petting zoo'…Duck tried to shake his head to clear the feelings the phrase brought on. He wasn't used to humans reacting so positively to phrases like that against anthros. Yeah sure he'd heard of "specism" but he'd never personally experienced much of it, or at least nothing as clear as that. It had only become a bit more apparent in certain people he'd encountered as a Loonatic. But for the citizens to all agree like that…

He didn't like it.

He looked up at Lexi's upside-down form sitting on the other end of the couch. And, adjusting his position with his legs propped up on the couch back and his head dangling off the seat cushion, his face contorted into a pout as he realized she was completely right. It was a shame.

But they all sat there quietly. No one making another comment, just stewing in whatever emotions each had of their current situation. Off to the side the wall of window displayed the city below with a sort of luminescence that seemed appealing, almost welcoming. But now the scene only raised bile within the real heroes of that town. And so they waited for Tech to call with the resolution to their victimized dethroning.


End file.
